1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to aircraft navigation. More particularly, the present invention relates to an improved aircraft navigation system and method for textually displaying an original flight plan and a modified flight plan simultaneously.
2. Description of the Related Art
Conventional flight planning systems provide a graphical representation of an active flight plan on a graphical display and a textual representation of the active flight plan on a separate Control Display Unit (CDU). The flight plan displayed on the CDU includes route information listing the waypoints and showing performance data, such as constraints and performance parameters, for each. The constraints include descent angle, speed, altitude, time, etc., and the performance parameters include course and distance information, expected time of arrival, fuel remaining, winds aloft, groundspeed, etc. The graphical display shows the active flight plan in two dimensions with the waypoints connected by a line showing the active flight route. For example, FIG. 1 shows a graphical display with the waypoints ABC, LL01, and LL03 connected by the active flight route 202.
The active flight plan can be modified by adding or deleting waypoints by interfacing with the CDU using a keyboard or by interfacing with the graphical display using a cursor control device. The graphical display is capable of showing the active flight plan and the modified flight plan in graphical form. For example, FIG. 2 shows a graphical display with an active flight plan 202 including the waypoints GUP, GUP44, and ABC and a modified flight plan 204 direct from the aircraft""s present position (PPOS) to ABC. A solid line represents the active flight plan, and a dashed line represents the modified flight plan.
However, once modifications are made to the active flight plan, either textually or graphically, conventional systems and methods display only a modified flight plan on the CDU, and a comparison of the constraints and performance parameters for the active and modified flight plans is not possible. When only the modified flight plan is displayed, the performance data for the active flight plan is no longer available or even easily discemable.
For example, U.S. Pat. No. 5,715,163 relates to a cursor controlled navigation system for aircraft in which a flight plan can be modified by adding waypoints to either a graphical display or a CDU. However, when the desired (i.e., modified) flight plan returns to the original flight plan, waypoints that are not on the desired flight plan are deleted. With this system, it is not possible to provide a simultaneous display of the original and modified flight plans. A comparison of the constraints and performance parameters of both the modified and original flight plans therefore cannot be done.
There is a need, therefore, for an improved navigation system that simultaneously, textually presents the original and modified flight plans, including constraints and performance parameters, on a single display. Improvements for inputting modified flight plans are also desirable.
It is a general object of the present invention to provide an improved navigational flight planning system.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a logic method and apparatus for simultaneously, textually displaying the original and modified flight plans of a navigational system, allowing comparison of the performance data of each flight plan.
In accordance with the objects described above, one aspect of the present invention relates to a method of simultaneously presenting a textual display of an original flight plan and a modified flight plan and includes displaying a textlist of waypoints on the modified flight plan and on the original flight plan, modifying the textlist by indicating an insertion point in the textlist to insert a proposed waypoint, determining whether the proposed waypoint is a duplicate of a waypoint in the textlist, and, when it is determined in the determining step that the proposed waypoint is not a duplicate of a waypoint in the textlist, adding, in a first adding step, the proposed waypoint to the textlist at the insertion point. In the determining step, the textlist is searched forward from the insertion point of the proposed waypoint to determine if the proposed waypoint is a duplicate of a waypoint in the textlist. The method may also include, when it is determined in the determining step that the proposed waypoint is a duplicate of a waypoint in the textlist, adding, in a second adding step, the proposed waypoint to the textlist at the insertion point, and designating on the textlist waypoints to be removed from the original flight plan, corresponding to waypoints in the textlist after the proposed waypoint up to and including the duplicate waypoint; or, when it is determined in the determining step that the proposed waypoint is a duplicate of a waypoint in the textlist, designating on the textlist waypoints to be removed from the original flight plan, corresponding to waypoints in the textlist from the insertion point to the waypoint prior to the duplicate waypoint. Alternatively, in the determining step, the original flight plan is searched backwards from the insertion point of the proposed waypoint to determine if the proposed waypoint is a duplicate of a waypoint in the textlist, and, when it is determined in the determining step that the proposed waypoint is a duplicate of a waypoint in the textlist, the method may include adding, in a second adding step, the proposed waypoint to the textlist at the insertion point, and designating on the textlist waypoints to be removed from the original flight plan, corresponding to waypoints in the textlist before the proposed waypoint back to and including the duplicate waypoint.
Another aspect of the present invention relates to a method of simultaneously presenting a textual display of an original flight plan and a modified flight plan and includes displaying a textlist of waypoints; copying waypoints from the original flight plan into the modified flight plan; comparing each waypoint on the modified flight plan with waypoints on the original flight plan; determining, in a first determining step, for each modified flight plan waypoint, whether the modified flight plan waypoint originated from a waypoint in the original flight plan; and adding, in a first adding step, the modified flight plan waypoint to the textlist, when it is determined in the determining step that the modified flight plan waypoint did not originate from a waypoint in the original flight plan. The method may also include determining, in a second determining step, a position of the originating waypoint in the original flight plan relative to the position of the modified flight plan waypoint in the modified flight plan, when it is determined in the first determining step that the modified flight plan waypoint originated from a waypoint in the original flight plan; adding, in a second adding step, the modified flight plan waypoint to the textlist, when it is determined in the second determining step that the position of the originating waypoint in the original flight plan corresponds to the position of the modified flight plan waypoint in the modified flight plan; and, when it is determined in the second determining step that the position of the originating waypoint in the original flight plan does not correspond to the position of the modified flight plan waypoint in the modified flight plan, designating on the textlist waypoints to be removed from the original flight plan, corresponding to waypoints from a corresponding position of the waypoint in the original flight plan to an actual position of the originating waypoint in the original flight plan.
Still another aspect of the present invention relates to computer executable code for implementing a method of simultaneously presenting a textual display of an original flight plan and a modified flight plan, the code being for executing the steps including displaying a textlist of waypoints on the modified flight plan and on the original flight plan; modifying the textlist by indicating an insertion point in the textlist to insert a proposed waypoint; determining whether the proposed waypoint is a duplicate of a waypoint in the textlist; and, when it is determined in the determining step that the proposed waypoint is not a duplicate of a waypoint in the textlist, adding, in a first adding step, the proposed waypoint to the textlist at the insertion point. In the determining step, the textlist is searched forward from the insertion point of the proposed waypoint to determine if the proposed waypoint is a duplicate of a waypoint in the textlist. The code may be for further executing the steps of, when it is determined in the determining step that the proposed waypoint is a duplicate of a waypoint in the textlist, adding, in a second adding step, the proposed waypoint to the textlist at the insertion point; and designating on the textlist waypoints to be removed from the original flight plan, corresponding to waypoints in the textlist after the proposed waypoint up to and including the duplicate waypoint. When it is determined in the determining step that the proposed waypoint is a duplicate of a waypoint in the textlist, the code may be for the step of designating on the textlist waypoints to be removed from the original flight plan, corresponding to waypoints in the textlist from the insertion point to the waypoint prior to the duplicate waypoint. Alternatively, in the determining step, the original flight plan is searched backwards from the insertion point of the proposed waypoint to determine if the proposed waypoint is a duplicate of a waypoint in the textlist, and the code is for further executing the step of, when it is determined in the determining step that the proposed waypoint is a duplicate of a waypoint in the textlist, adding, in a second adding step, the proposed waypoint to the textlist at the insertion point, and designating on the textlist waypoints to be removed from the original flight plan, corresponding to waypoints in the textlist before the proposed waypoint back to and including the duplicate waypoint.
Yet another aspect of the present invention relates to computer executable code for implementing a method of simultaneously presenting a textual display of an original flight plan and a modified flight plan, the code being for executing the steps including displaying a textlist of waypoints; copying waypoints from the original flight plan into the modified flight plan; comparing each waypoint on the modified flight plan with waypoints on the original flight plan; determining, in a first determining step, for each modified flight plan waypoint, whether the modified flight plan waypoint originated from a waypoint in the original flight plan; and adding, in a first adding step, the modified flight plan waypoint to the textlist, when it is determined in the determining step that the modified flight plan waypoint did not originate from a waypoint in the original flight plan. The code may be for further executing the steps of, when it is determined in the first determining step that the modified flight plan waypoint originated from a waypoint in the original flight plan, determining, in a second determining step, a position of the originating waypoint in the original flight plan relative to the position of the modified flight plan waypoint in the modified flight plan; and adding, in a second adding step, the modified flight plan waypoint to the textlist, when it is determined in the second determining step that the position of the originating waypoint in the original flight plan corresponds to the position of the modified flight plan waypoint in the modified flight plan. The code may also be for further executing the step of designating on the textlist waypoints to be removed from the original flight plan, corresponding to waypoints from a corresponding position of the waypoint in the original flight plan to an actual position of the originating waypoint in the original flight plan, when it is determined in the second determining step that the position of the originating waypoint in the original flight plan does not correspond to the position of the modified flight plan waypoint in the modified flight plan.
Still another aspect of the present invention relates to an apparatus for simultaneously presenting a textual display of an original flight plan and a modified flight plan and includes a display device and a processor. The processor performs the steps of displaying on the display device a textlist of waypoints on the modified flight plan and on the original flight plan; modifying the textlist by indicating an insertion point in the textlist to insert a proposed waypoint; determining whether the proposed waypoint is a duplicate of a waypoint in the textlist; and, when it is determined in the determining step that the proposed waypoint is not a duplicate of a waypoint in the textlist, adding, in a first adding step, the proposed waypoint to the textlist at the insertion point. In the determining step, the textlist is searched forward from the insertion point of the proposed waypoint to determine if the proposed waypoint is a duplicate of a waypoint in the textlist. The processor may also perform the steps of, when it is determined in the determining step that the proposed waypoint is a duplicate of a waypoint in the textlist, adding, in a second adding step, the proposed waypoint to the textlist at the insertion point; and designating on the textlist waypoints to be removed from the original flight plan, corresponding to waypoints in the textlist after the proposed waypoint up to and including the duplicate waypoint. When it is determined in the determining step that the proposed waypoint is a duplicate of a waypoint in the textlist, the processor may perform the step of designating on the textlist waypoints to be removed from the original flight plan, corresponding to waypoints in the textlist from the insertion point to the waypoint prior to the duplicate waypoint. Alternatively, in the determining step, the original flight plan is searched backwards from the insertion point of the proposed waypoint to determine if the proposed waypoint is a duplicate of a waypoint in the textlist, and the processor performs the steps of, when it is determined in the determining step that the proposed waypoint is a duplicate of a waypoint in the textlist, adding, in a second adding step, the proposed waypoint to the textlist at the insertion point; and designating on the textlist waypoints to be removed from the original flight plan, corresponding to waypoints in the textlist before the proposed waypoint back to and including the duplicate waypoint.
Yet another aspect of the present invention relates to an apparatus for simultaneously presenting a textual display of an original flight plan and a modified flight plan and includes a display device, and a processor. The processor performs the steps of displaying on the display device a textlist of waypoints; copying waypoints from the original flight plan into the modified flight plan; comparing each waypoint on the modified flight plan with waypoints on the original flight plan; determining, in a first determining step, for each modified flight plan waypoint, whether the modified flight plan waypoint originated from a waypoint in the original flight plan; and, when it is determined in the determining step that the modified flight plan waypoint did not originate from a waypoint in the original flight plan, adding, in a first adding step, the modified flight plan waypoint to the textlist. The processor may also perform the steps of, when it is determined in the first determining step that the modified flight plan waypoint originated from a waypoint in the original flight plan, determining, in a second determining step, a position of the originating waypoint in the original flight plan relative to the position of the modified flight plan waypoint in the modified flight plan; adding, in a second adding step, the modified flight plan waypoint to the textlist, when it is determined in the second determining step that the position of the originating waypoint in the original flight plan corresponds to the position of the modified flight plan waypoint in the modified flight plan; and designating on the textlist waypoints to be removed from the original flight plan, corresponding to waypoints from a corresponding position of the waypoint in the original flight plan to an actual position of the originating waypoint in the original flight plan, when it is determined in the second determining step that the position of the originating waypoint in the original flight plan does not correspond to the position of the modified flight plan waypoint in the modified flight plan.
These and other aspects, objects, and features of the present invention will become apparent from the following detailed description of the preferred embodiments, read in conjunction with, and reference to, the accompanying drawings.